The Nourishing Asian Kitchen

Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Health and Healing

The Nourishing Asian Kitchen cover
Pages:320 pages
Book Art:Full-color photographs throughout
Size: 7 x 10 inch
Publisher:Chelsea Green Publishing
Pub. Date: December 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781645022169

The Nourishing Asian Kitchen

Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Health and Healing

Foreword by Sally Fallon Morell
Availability: In stock

Paperback

$34.95

In stock



“[These recipes] are designed to be nourishing as well as delicious . . . Whether you are a seasoned home cook or a novice in the kitchen, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen is perfect for anyone looking to explore traditional Asian cooking.”—Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions

Featuring over 100 delicious recipes that utilize whole foods, classic ferments, hearty broths, and healing herbs and spices, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen presents an innovative approach to experiencing Asian cuisine while promoting nutritious, garden-to-plate meals that are easy to make.

When Sophia Nguyen Eng moved to the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee to start a family farm, she was determined to honor the cultural food traditions and flavors passed down by her parents, who fled Vietnam in 1975. The meals of her childhood drew inspiration from the rich culinary traditions of Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries. However, Sophia noticed that preparing these dishes in the United States often relied heavily on processed ingredients containing artificial flavors and preservatives. She was determined to recreate the flavorful recipes she loved while making them healthier.

Inspired by the nutritional research of Weston A. Price, the regenerative farming practices of Joel Salatin, and the traditional Asian recipes passed down through her family for generations, Sophia has curated a unique collection of wholesome dishes in The Nourishing Asian Kitchen. These recipes explore the proper preparation of grains, dairy, meats, and ferments, emphasizing fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods while focusing on flavor, food quality, ingredient sourcing, seasonality, and eating nose-to-tail.

With an opening sectioning on mastering basic techniques—like working with bone broth, fish fumet, and ghee—the recipes range from familiar classics to mind-blowing creations, including:

  • Sauces: Korean Gochujang Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Vietnamese “Peanut” Dipping Sauce, Lemongrass Chili Oil
  • Vegetable & Sides: Pickled Red Onion, Daikon Kimchi, Wild Bibimbap, Mushroom Banchan
  • Soups: Oxtail Pho, Sweet and Sour Tamarind Soup, Spicy Thai Hot Pot, Crab Noodle Soup
  • Meats: Garlic Butter Chicken Wings, Five Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi, Shaking Beef with Watercress Salad, Lamb Bulgogi Spring Rolls
  • Beverages & Desserts: Vietnamese Coffee, Strawberry Lychee Panna Cotta, Matcha Green Tea Honey Ice Cream
  • And much more! 

 

From hot pot to tempura, kimchi to pho, each recipe is designed to nourish the body and reconnect with tradition and heritage. And with beautiful photography by David K. Peng, easy-to-follow instructions, and tips for sourcing high-quality ingredients, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen is a must-have for anyone seeking to explore the world of Asian cuisine through the lens of nourishing traditions.

“Delicious recipes . . . are paired with mouthwatering photos. . . . These healthy, traditional dishes are worth the effort.”—Library Journal

 

Reviews and Praise

  • “What an extraordinary book! I’d say cookbook but this truly is so much more. Eng doesn’t just say ‘Here’s my food and gorgeous photographs,’ she takes us into the most intimate of places, her home, and shows us how we too can feed our families in ours. Packed not just with delicious and practical recipes, it also has important, and oft overlooked, advice on nutrition, sourcing, indigenous medicines, and closed-loop systems.”—Jeremy Umansky, coauthor of Koji Alchemy; James Beard Award finalist; chef/owner of Larder: A Curated Delicatessen & Bakery


More Reviews and Praise


  • “Having watched Sophie’s journey over the years, I’m not surprised at the professional detail and sheer culinary breadth of this marvelous book. Far more than a cookbook, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen brings the rich, authentic nourishing heritage of Asian foodcraft to all our tables. The theme is nutritional integrity; the result is health and delectable dining. Following this book’s recommendations will turn you into a menu superstar for your family and friends.”—Joel Salatin, cofounder of Polyface Farm; author, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal

  • “Finally, an ethnic cookbook that truly celebrates the nourishing qualities of traditional diets! Through The Nourishing Asian Kitchen, Sophia Nguyen Eng empowers the home cook to rely upon ferments, broths, high-quality fats, and even offal to create authentically healthy dishes. This book is exactly what we need to help confront a global foodscape that has been cheapened by the industrial food system to the point that it is making us sick.”—Dr. Bill Schindler, author of Eat Like a Human: Nourishing Foods and Ancient Ways of Cooking to Revolutionize Your Health

  • “I have been waiting a long time for an author who unapologetically celebrates traditional flavors enjoyed across Asia using the familiar fresh ingredients we can find in any grocery store. Traditional food is health food, and Sophia Nguyen Eng invites the novice and the expert into a culinary adventure that encapsulates generations of healing knowledge. It is sure to bring joy and health to you and your family for years to come.”—Cate Shanahan, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition and The FATBURN Fix

  • “Let’s face it, we’re not going to effect positive changes in nutrition without corresponding appeals to our taste buds and our hearts. In this exciting book, Sophia Nguyen Eng and her delightful family link wholesome, whole, and nutritious ingredients with pleasures for the palate and the warmth of tradition and community.

    “A big ‘thank you’ to Sophie Eng and her lovely family for the consummation of this marriage between whole foods and the savory delights of traditional Asian cuisine. If you’ve sacrificed your favorite Eastern condiments on the altar of clean, additive-free food, take heart; these healthful and delicious recipes give them back to you, better than ever.”—Shawn and Beth Dougherty, authors of The Independent Farmstead; owners of Sow’s Ear Farm

  • “The best recipes are often those handed down from parents to their children—the dishes you learn to cook in your mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen. Sophia Nguyen Eng brings that culinary heritage to the forefront in her gorgeous cookbook. The Nourishing Asian Kitchen is a beautiful celebration of flavor, family, and nutrient-dense cooking. Her Bún Bò Huế has become a fast favorite in our home.”—Jennifer McGruther, NTP, author of The Nourished Kitchen, Vibrant Botanicals, and Broth and Stock from the Nourished Kitchen

  • "Delicious recipes . . . are paired with mouthwatering photos. . . . These healthy, traditional dishes are worth the effort."Library Journal



Reviews and Praise

  • “What an extraordinary book! I’d say cookbook but this truly is so much more. Eng doesn’t just say ‘Here’s my food and gorgeous photographs,’ she takes us into the most intimate of places, her home, and shows us how we too can feed our families in ours. Packed not just with delicious and practical recipes, it also has important, and oft overlooked, advice on nutrition, sourcing, indigenous medicines, and closed-loop systems.”—Jeremy Umansky, coauthor of Koji Alchemy; James Beard Award finalist; chef/owner of Larder: A Curated Delicatessen & Bakery

More Reviews and Praise
  • “Having watched Sophie’s journey over the years, I’m not surprised at the professional detail and sheer culinary breadth of this marvelous book. Far more than a cookbook, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen brings the rich, authentic nourishing heritage of Asian foodcraft to all our tables. The theme is nutritional integrity; the result is health and delectable dining. Following this book’s recommendations will turn you into a menu superstar for your family and friends.”—Joel Salatin, cofounder of Polyface Farm; author, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal

  • “Finally, an ethnic cookbook that truly celebrates the nourishing qualities of traditional diets! Through The Nourishing Asian Kitchen, Sophia Nguyen Eng empowers the home cook to rely upon ferments, broths, high-quality fats, and even offal to create authentically healthy dishes. This book is exactly what we need to help confront a global foodscape that has been cheapened by the industrial food system to the point that it is making us sick.”—Dr. Bill Schindler, author of Eat Like a Human: Nourishing Foods and Ancient Ways of Cooking to Revolutionize Your Health

  • “I have been waiting a long time for an author who unapologetically celebrates traditional flavors enjoyed across Asia using the familiar fresh ingredients we can find in any grocery store. Traditional food is health food, and Sophia Nguyen Eng invites the novice and the expert into a culinary adventure that encapsulates generations of healing knowledge. It is sure to bring joy and health to you and your family for years to come.”—Cate Shanahan, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition and The FATBURN Fix

  • “Let’s face it, we’re not going to effect positive changes in nutrition without corresponding appeals to our taste buds and our hearts. In this exciting book, Sophia Nguyen Eng and her delightful family link wholesome, whole, and nutritious ingredients with pleasures for the palate and the warmth of tradition and community.

    “A big ‘thank you’ to Sophie Eng and her lovely family for the consummation of this marriage between whole foods and the savory delights of traditional Asian cuisine. If you’ve sacrificed your favorite Eastern condiments on the altar of clean, additive-free food, take heart; these healthful and delicious recipes give them back to you, better than ever.”—Shawn and Beth Dougherty, authors of The Independent Farmstead; owners of Sow’s Ear Farm

  • “The best recipes are often those handed down from parents to their children—the dishes you learn to cook in your mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen. Sophia Nguyen Eng brings that culinary heritage to the forefront in her gorgeous cookbook. The Nourishing Asian Kitchen is a beautiful celebration of flavor, family, and nutrient-dense cooking. Her Bún Bò Huế has become a fast favorite in our home.”—Jennifer McGruther, NTP, author of The Nourished Kitchen, Vibrant Botanicals, and Broth and Stock from the Nourished Kitchen

  • "Delicious recipes . . . are paired with mouthwatering photos. . . . These healthy, traditional dishes are worth the effort."Library Journal


About Sophia Nguyen Eng

Sophia Nguyen Eng is a first-generation Vietnamese-American who left a successful career in growth marketing in Silicon Valley to start a five-acre permaculture farm in the Appalachian region of eastern Tennessee. During her time in the tech industry, Eng led successful growth marketing campaigns for startups and Fortune 500 companies like WorkDay, InVision, and Smartsheet, which led to opportunities to develop a certificate training program with CXL Institute and being a founder of the tech organization Women in Growth. A sought-after speaker, she has presented at Google HQ, GrowthHackers, and the global SaaStalk tech conferences. Now she draws on her experiences speaking on stage and her knowledge of food, farming, and health to present at homesteading conferences. Eng is also a Weston A. Price Chapter Leader and the founder of the website Sprinkle with Soil. With her husband, Tim, she raises grass-fed dairy cows, beef cattle, laying hens, broilers, ducks, sheep, goats, turkeys, and grows a variety of produce for her multi-generational family and local community.

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The Nourishing Asian Kitchen cover